Orri Wimpole Street

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

We looked for evidence that the service met people’s needs.

This was the first inspection of the registered Wimpole Street location following the relocation of the service from its previous premises in Hallam Street. This key question has been rated Outstanding. This meant services were tailored to meet the needs of individuals and delivered to ensure flexibility, choice and continuity of care.

We have not awarded this service a score for Responsive.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Responsive.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service was exceptional at making sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

The service demonstrated exceptional practice in keeping people at the centre of their care and treatment planning. Decisions about how to respond to changes in people’s needs were made collaboratively, ensuring support remained personalised and responsive. We saw that staff went the extra mile to behave in a way that met the unique and individual needs of each patient. One carer told us “My child has thrown a lot of curve balls at them, for example with excessive exercise. They have supported her around her whole care to help her the best they can”. Another carer told us “They acted very quickly when there was rapid weight loss over Christmas. They were very honest with my family member and helped them to understand how serious the situation could have been”.

Feedback from patients and commissioners confirmed care was person-centred and unique to each patient, and how the service was exceptional in the way they tailored people’s support.

The service made reasonable adjustments so that people with disabilities could access and use it equally. A custom‑built ramp enabled wheelchair users to enter the building despite the stepped entrance, and all rooms were accessible and suitable for wheelchair use.

The service had been designed to ensure that it would support the recovery of eating disorder patients. The service demonstrated thoughtful design aligned with the sensory needs of people recovering from eating disorders. Therapy rooms were deliberately situated away from food preparation and dining areas to minimise exposure to food smells during treatment. The dining room layout promoted recovery by offering tables at different proximities to the kitchen, enabling personalised re‑engagement with the food environment. A dedicated ‘calm corner’ offered a quiet space for patients to manage sensory overload and regulate their emotions.

The service’s colour scheme was informed by research and patient feedback, with neutral, calming tones used throughout. Adjustable lighting enabled patients to control their environment. De‑stress diffusers were present in all lounges, and a consistent room spray was used across the building to support patients who benefited from calming olfactory aids.

The service demonstrated thoughtful attention to patient needs in its choice of furniture. Seating options varied in size, shape, and style to accommodate patients with low body weight and body‑image challenges. Materials were intentionally selected to be sensory‑appropriate, helping to create a calming and supportive environment.

Patients could access a bespoke yoga studio and a roof‑terrace garden, providing additional therapeutic and wellbeing spaces. All patient‑accessible floors were designed consistently to support familiarity, accessibility and ease of navigation.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service had an exceptional understanding of the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

The service demonstrated a deep understanding of the health and care needs of people with eating disorders and worked hard to maintain a high standard of care. It was delivering 2 pilot online intensive day‑care programmes for NHS patients in partnership with Sussex NHS Foundation Trust and the Adult Eating Disorder Provider Collaborative for Sussex, Kent and Surrey. The pilots involved 107 patients. These pilots enabled patients to access an evidence‑based online day programme alternative to inpatient care. Feedback from commissioners and patients was overwhelmingly positive. Patient comments we reviewed included, “I have been so fortunate to be able to work with the Orri team on my recovery journey. The whole team are approachable, kind, caring and honest and I do not have a bad word to say. The level of therapy and the therapeutic interventions used are like no other that I have experienced”. “It meets you where you are at, in your own environment at your own pace. They are caring, they are compassionate and they treat you as a human being rather than a patient which is not often felt in therapy” and “‘The therapy is the best therapy I’ve received, and all their staff are really well trained and understand eating disorders”.

The service demonstrated strong, measurable improvements in patient wellbeing and eating disorder symptomatology Outcome measures such as the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale showed consistent improvement across all domains, with patients on the pilot. Results from the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE‑Q) showed significant improvement with all global scores and demonstrated improvements in eating disorder symptoms.

Feedback from patients on the pilots was highly positive. Patients highlighted the flexibility of the online programme and how it enabled treatment to be tailored to their individual needs. Patients described engaging in innovative therapeutic activities such as ‘virtual shopping trips’ during occupational therapy, role‑playing supermarket visits, and practising strategies for managing challenging social‑eating situations. Patients and carers reported improvements in confidence, coping skills and understanding of their condition, demonstrating the programme’s effectiveness in supporting meaningful progress in recovery.

Patients and their families told us their care was well co-ordinated, and everyone worked well together and with them. They said they felt in control of planning their own care and support. They told us they could contact the service if they needed further support.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

Patients and carers told us they were given clear, comprehensive information about the service. Each service line had its own bespoke handbook which had been co-produced with patients and carers outlining what patients could expect from the service and what the service expected from them. This ensured and supported people to understand their treatment pathway, rights, responsibilities, and how to get support. When accepted for treatment, every patient received a structured induction, which helped them become familiar with the service, staff, routines, and therapeutic approach. This supported informed engagement and aimed to reduce any anxiety during the early stages of care.

The service demonstrated a strong commitment to being responsive to the needs of patients and carers. Feedback was actively sought and used to make meaningful improvements to the information provided in the handbooks. Patients reported that some sections used language that felt overly complex. In response the service undertook a full review and revised the content to ensure information was clear, concise and accessible. Also, in response to feedback the handbooks were updated with a dedicated section on inclusion and reasonable adjustments available to meet the needs of neurodivergent individual and all people using the service. Staff made the relevant notifications to external bodies such as the Care Quality Commission when incidents occurred and had policies and procedures in place to support staff.

Information governance systems ensured the confidentiality and appropriate handling of patient records. All staff had completed mandatory information governance training. Individual patient handbooks clearly outlined how personal information would be managed in accordance with relevant legislation and organisational policies.

Staff ensured that patients could obtain information on treatments, local services, patients’ rights, how to complain and so on. The service had a very comprehensive website which provided detailed information on the service, what people could expect and a comprehensive amount of information on all aspects of eating disorders. A wide range of eating disorder resources could be downloaded from the website such as eating disorders for men, healing body image and recovering at university workbook. The website detailed a comprehensive section on frequently asked questions, other support organisations and blogs on various aspects of eating disorders.

The information provided was in a form accessible to the particular patient group, for example the day treatment guide and key admission documents were available in easy read format.

Staff made information leaflets available in languages spoken by patients as appropriate.

Staff ensured carers, families and commissioners were regularly updated about the patient’s progress. Commissioners confirmed that the service submitted quarterly comprehensive performance information.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service was exceptional at enabling people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. They always involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

The service demonstrated an exemplary commitment to listening to patients, carers and commissioners, actively using their feedback to drive improvement. We saw clear examples of improvements made as a result of patient and carer feedback. The service had developed a feedback function on its website to enable people to share their views more quickly and easily. It had also updated its editorial guidance for all articles published on the website to ensure information was accurate, accessible and aligned with best practice. The outpatient service had been developed following feedback from patients who had completed their face to face in person programme. These changes demonstrated that the service listened to feedback and took meaningful action to enhance the quality and accessibility of information provided to people.

Patients knew how to complain or raise concerns. Family members also confirmed they knew how to raise concerns with the service. Details of how to complain or raise concerns were on the service website and in patient and carer handbooks. Options for giving feedback, complaints or compliments included carer forums, direct patient feedback, feedback from therapy sessions, regular patient meetings with the service director.

The service reviewed all feedback it received and used this to drive improvement. We reviewed the service’s tracker and saw that all complaints were recorded, monitored, investigated and that required actions were completed. The service analysed all complaints received in 2025 and identified recurring themes relating to communication, discharge planning, case management and psychiatric input. In response, leaders implemented targeted improvements, including reviewing the case management process, launching a central hub to track all sessions and missed appointments, and recruiting a permanent psychiatrist to strengthen clinical input. These actions demonstrated a proactive approach to learning and continuous improvement. Actions were systematically tracked and monitored through the clinical governance meeting. Department leads reviewed outcomes, evaluated effectiveness and ensured that changes were fully embedded into everyday practice.

When patients complained or raised concerns, they received feedback. In response to patients requesting assistance with portions, the occupational therapist had started a portioning clinic. The service displayed ‘you said, we did’ posters.

The service had a strong and embedded focus on co-production. Patients and carers were involved in service innovations. For example, patients and carers were actively involved in the design of the building and the neurodevelopmental pathway. Patients participated in staff recruitment panels for all clinical posts. They were treated as equal partners in the recruitment process. Managers would not recruit a candidate if the patient representative did not feel that they would be suitable for the service. We spoke with a patient who had participated on the panel, and they confirmed they had received support and had undertaken interview training.

Carers were involved in developing the carers handbook. The service offered family therapy, psycho education, practical cooking, sibling support groups and eating guidance for family members.

We reviewed compliments and testimonials from patients and family members. The compliments received by the service were overwhelmingly positive. Examples included “We were met with the same care and understanding as our child” and “Eating disorder assistants, you are the core of Orri and I have appreciated all your empathy and kindness throughout my time here”.

The service had a blog space on its website and patients were able to submit pieces of written information about their individual eating disorders. All submissions were monitored by the social impact manager to ensure they were safe to be published.

The service had a well-established alumni group, formed of patients who had completed their recovery journey. Patients from this group told us they kept in regular touch with the service, had monthly drop-in calls and carried out supportive webinars for new patients joining the service.

The service had developed bespoke handbooks for both the online and in‑person treatment programmes. These provided clear information on what patients could expect, including an overview of the treatment pathways and the support available for families and carers. They were co‑produced with former patients, whose motivational messages were included throughout to support and encourage new patients.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

Staff ensured the needs of patients with mobility issues were met. Wheelchair access into the building was via a lift access platform. All doors and corridors were wide enough to accommodate wheelchair users. A lift was available.

The service demonstrated equity in access by offering flexible delivery models, including in‑person, online, and blended treatment options. This enabled individuals to engage with care in ways that aligned with their personal, educational, and work commitments. The online day treatment programme further widened access by supporting people living outside London and internationally, reducing geographical barriers and ensuring fair access to treatment.

Staff planned discharge collaboratively with patients and their families, ensuring people were fully involved in decisions about their ongoing care. Each patient received a comprehensive discharge pack containing key information to support their transition out of the service. Staff ensured that individuals had timely access to appropriate post‑discharge support, including referrals and follow‑up arrangements. Dedicated case managers worked closely with the multidisciplinary team and external healthcare providers to coordinate safe, well‑structured discharge plans and reduce the risk of care gaps.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. Staff and leaders were innovative in how they listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes. Staff and leaders actively used this information to provide exceptionally tailored care, support and treatment in response to this.

The service had a robust Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategy, led by a dedicated clinical lead who oversaw its implementation across the organisation. Implementation of the strategy was supported by a multidisciplinary DEI Committee with representatives from across the organisation and all departments, embedding DEI across the organisation. Leaders and staff were alerted to discrimination and inequality that could disadvantage different groups of people using the service. The service proactively addressed these barriers by training staff, holding open conversations with patients, carers and staff, and embedding DEI principles into everyday practice. The DEI strategy was fully integrated into organisational systems, ensuring that equity and inclusion informed policies, recruitment, training, service design and clinical decision‑making.

To maintain openness and transparency, the Head of DEI hosted regular drop‑in sessions and feedback groups where patients could share their lived experience and suggest improvements to the service. Ideas and feedback from patients were routinely gathered and then shared with the wider clinical team through team meetings, clinical governance and operational meetings, ensuring that patient voices directly informed service development and day‑to‑day practice.

The service also introduced a monthly DEI theme for the community which included staff and patients, creating ongoing opportunities for reflection, discussion and learning, for example staff were preparing for Ramadan and Lent and were working closely with the kitchen and dietetic team to celebrate EID and Easter. The staff team were working with patients on faith inclusion, supporting religious practice safely within eating disorder treatment. The organisation worked closely with experts by experience and partnered with ‘Pink Therapy’ to further develop staff cultural competency and clinical skills in supporting people across the full spectrum of Gender, Sex and Relationship Diversity (GSRD). The service provided specific treatment programmes to meet individuals specific cultural and gender needs. There were specific programmes for male and LGBT+ people. This demonstrated a proactive and embedded approach to equity, inclusion and specialist practice.

The service held monthly DEI committee meetings. The work of the committee played a central role in fostering a fair, respectful and inclusive organisational culture. Minutes from these meetings showed that the committee systematically reviewed all systems and processes to ensure they were inclusive and free from bias. For example, work was being undertaken regarding preferred pronouns across organisational systems and communications. The service was committed to advancing race equity and improving outcomes for racialised communities in line with the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF). The DEI lead told us of the inequalities experienced by minority ethnic groups within mental health services and the work that had started to take place to embed PCREF principles into governance, workforce development and patient experience initiatives. Staff were encouraged to reflect on cultural competence and anti‑racist practice, and training was being reviewed and strengthened to support this.

Staff within the service and the wider organisation promoted a culture in which the people using the service felt empowered to give their views.

The provider had undertaken equality impact assessments of their policies and procedures to ensure they did not place vulnerable people or people with protected characteristics at a disadvantage.

Staff celebrated cultural and religious events throughout the year. The service maintained a cultural calendar that recognised a wide range of religious and cultural festivals. At the time of our inspection, preparations were underway for Easter. Staff provided enhanced support for patients during holiday periods, including Christmas and the summer holidays, recognising that these times could be particularly challenging for individuals with eating disorders. The chief executive had written a blog highlighting the complex emotions, triggers and distress related to food and body image that patients may experience during these periods.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. People were given exceptional support to plan for important life changes, so they could make informed decisions about their future.

Staff developed personalised care plans that reflected each patient’s specific needs, preferences and emotional wellbeing. Care and treatment planning followed a multidisciplinary approach, with all relevant healthcare professionals and external agencies contributing to ensure plans were safe, coordinated and holistic. For example, the service had supported a patient throughout their pregnancy, working collaboratively with external maternity services to ensure their mental health and physical health needs were fully integrated into their care.

Staff supported patients to develop coping strategies and relapse‑prevention skills, so they felt confident managing challenges after leaving the service. Each patient was encouraged to create a personalised self‑care plan to help them continue their recovery journey independently. The service also worked closely with universities to create bespoke care plans for young people transitioning into university life, ensuring they had tailored support during a period of significant change.

The catering team developed a ‘Taking Orri Home’ menu‑planning booklet to support patients after discharge. It provided essential guidance on planning meals and included a range of recipe ideas to help people continue their recovery at home.

The service had a well-established alumni group, formed of patients who had completed their recovery journey. Patients were able to keep in touch with the service after discharge, had monthly drop-in calls and also carried out webinars for new patients joining the service.